ELEVATED  RAILROADS 


TIIE 


PUBLIC  NECESSITY. 


ARGUMENT  OF 

J.  A.  L.  WHITTIER,  Esq., 

' v 

BEFORE  THE 

JOINT  COMMITTEE  ON  STREET  RAILWAYS, 

OF  THE 

MASSACHUSETTS  LEGISLATURE, 

SATURDAY,  MARCH  13,  1880. 


BOSTON: 

GETCIIELL  BROTHERS,  LAW  PRINTERS, 
Nos.  4 and  12  Pearl  Street. 

1880. 

% 


\AI£VS_ 


w \\.^£ 


CLOSING  ARGUMENT 


r 


OF 


On  Behalf  of  the  Petitioners. 


The  Petition  and  its  Signers. 


Mr.  Chairman  and  Gentlemen  of  the  Committee : 

The  petition  which  I represent  here  is  a duplicate  of  one  which  was 
called  to  the  attention  of  the  committee  a year  ago,  and  it  is  the  first 
effort  ever  made  in  Boston  as  to  elevated  railroads.  The  credit  or 
the  discredit  belongs  to  us.  We  first  suggested  — and  we  first  asked 
for  a right  to  build  — an  elevated  railway. 

The  gentlemen  whose  petition  has  had  the  benefit  of  our  evidence, 
and  who  have  with  us  endeavored  to  convince  you  of  the  expediency 
of  granting  a charter,  are  followers  in  our  footsteps,  and  are  imitators 
of  our  endeavors.  They  make  no  claim  which  we  did  not  make  first ; 
they  offer  no  argument  which  we  did  not  suggest  first ; they  are  the 
exponents  of  no  theories  that  did  not  with  us  first  find  utterance. 

If  there  is  any  reason  why  they  should  be  chartered  and  we  should 
be  repulsed,  it  has  not  been  set  out  in  evidence  or  presented  in  ar- 
gument. Nor  is  it  possible  to  advance  any  cause  which,  with  you, 
will  have  any  weight,  why  they  should  take  from  us  the  advantage  to 
which  we  are  entitled ; and  there  is  every  reason  why  they  should 
wait  till  we  are  chartered,  and  then,  if  they  can,  join  forces  with  us 
We  will  welcome  them  gladly,  but  we  are  not  prepared  to  surrender 
what  we  have  earned  ; and  we  by  no  means  admit  that  they  have 
shown  or  can  show  any  cause  why  they  should  have  the  precedence 
and  we  should  lie  denied. 


243?4 


2 


The  cry  of  "outside  influences”  or  "foreign  copitn  l ” will  have  no 
weight  wjtli  3rou  ; for  in  the  very  nature  of  things  it  is  impossible 
that  such  an  attempt  at  argument  should  he  found  of  substance. 
Money  is  money,  be  it  from  a Boston  bank  or  a New  York  source. 
Enterprise  will  help  the  city,  lie  it  local  or  imported.  And  there  is 
no  Chinese  wall  around  this  metropolis  of  New  England,  not  to  be 
crossed  by  any  who  seek  to  do  the  people  good.  Nor  is  there  a dead- 
line which  marks  and  defines  a region  belonging  alone  to  local  capital, 
on  which  the  outsider  may  not  trench. 

If  such  were  the  case,  it  would  be  a disgrace  to  our  civilization  ; 
and  this  committee  would  stamp  it  out  of  existence  if  its  existence 
were  proved. 

If  such  is  not  the  case,  then  no  reason  exists  why  one  set  of  peti- 
tioners should  claim  advantages  over  another. 

But  as  matter  of  fact,  both  petitioners  are  Boston  men.  True  it  is, 
we  arc  not  here,  having  behind  us  as  many  names  as  have  our 
friends,  but  it  is  none  the  less  true  that  we  represent  Boston  capital, 
Boston  brains  and  Boston  desires. 

And  it  is  also  true  that  we  are  desirous  of  constructing,  as  are  the 
other  petitioners,  a Boston  road.  Nor  has  it  been  denied  that  we 
have  the  facilities  which  they  have,  and  that  our  motives  are  as 
honest  as  theirs. 

These  things  being  undoubted,  the  mere  fact  that  the  aggregate  of 
the  capital  on  their  petition  seemingly  exceeds  that  of  ours,  will 
not  lay  this  committee,  composed  as  it  is  of  men  of  intelligence  and 
of  liberal  views,  be  allowed  to  militate  against  us. 

You  have  listened  for  so  long  a time,  with  such  entire  patience  and 
with  such  wise  discrimination,  to  what  has  been  offered  you  in  the  way 
of  reasons  pro  and  con  on  this  subject  of  elevated  roads,  that  it  would 
be  a very  ungracious  thing  in  me  if  1 did  not,  before  entering  upon 
what  I had  to  say  to  you,  express  on  behalf  of  those  whom  1 represent 
here,  and  on  my  own  behalf,  the  sincere  acknowledgments  which 
we  feel  for  and  the  sincere  appreciation  which  we  have  of  the 
manner  in  which  you  have  attended  to  this  important  duty  ; and  it 
involves  upon  me  another  duty  of  equal  importance,  and  that  is  to 


3 


• 

he  as  brief  as  I can  be  in  the  saying  of  what  I have  to  say;  and  I 
shall  endeavor  to  say  what  I have  to  present  to  your  attention  in  as 
i|  few  words  as  is  consistent  with  the  importance  of  the  subject;  for  I 

feel,  gentlemen,  that  whatever  may  be  the  conclusion  to  which  you 
come  as  to  the  result  of  these  hearings,  whatever  may  be  the  con- 
clusion to  which  you  come  as  to  the  report  you  may  make,  we  are 
all  agreed  on  one  thing,  and  tl^at  is,  that  the  subject  which  has  been 
presented  to  your  attention  here  during  these  past  weeks  is  one  of 
great  importance. 


Pecuniary  Importance  of  the  Subject. 


1/7 

I": 


r) 


It  is  important  in  the  first  place  because  it  relates  to  the  expen- 
diture of  a great  deal  of  money  and  to  the  employment  of  a great  many 
men.  If  a bill  is  reported  as  authorizing  the  erection  in  the 
streets  of  Boston  of  an  elevated  road,  it  will  mean  the  transfer  of  a 
great  deal  of  capital  from  the  present  methods  of  investment  into  a 
new  channel ; it  will  mean  the  employment  of  a great  many  men  in 
the  carrying  out  of  a new  industry  : and  to  that  extent  it  is  a very 
important  matter,  and  it  is  one  that  should  be  very  carefully  con- 
sidered. 

It  makes  no  difference  whether  the  money  that  is  to  be  spent  on 
an  elevated  road  in  Boston  — and  that  money  is  going  to  be  spent 
some  time,  I have  no  doubt — comes  from  Boston  or  from  New 
York;  whether  the  dollars  and  cents  that  are  spent  are  Boston 
money  or  New  York  money.  The  fact  remains  that  a great  invest- 
ment will  be  made  ; and  the  very  fact  that  men  stand  ready,  as  they 
do,  to  make  this  large  investment  is  certainly  pretty  strong  evidence 
that  they  consider,  as  men  who  have  studied  and  investigated  the 
subject,  that  the  probabilities  are  in  favor  of  large  pecuniary 
returns,  and  that  it  is  a justifiable  way  of  spending  money  because  of 
the  promises  of  the  future  in  regard  to  it. 


The  Saving  of  Time. 

It  is  a matter,  Mr.  Chairman  and  gentlemen,  of  great  importance  in 


4 


another  sense.  It  is  a matter  of  importance  to  the  people  them- 
selves. This  subject  of  quick  transit,  which  has  been  pretty  thor- 
oughly presented  to  your  attention  here,  involves,  outside  of  the 
pecuniary  question  connected  with  it,  some  matters  of  exceeding 
importance  to  the  people  themselves.  It  means  quick  transit,  it 
means  saving  of  time  to  a great  many  people.  I am  not  one  of  those 
who  believe,  as  did  believe  a gentleman  who  made  the  opening  state- 
ment for  the  remonstrants,  that  the  people  of  Boston,  and  especially 
the  working-men,  for  those  are  the  ones  to  whom  he  alluded,  do  not 
care  so  much  for  time  as  they  do  for  cheap  fares.  The  argument,  as 
it  was  presented  to  you  then,  was,  that  it  did  not  make  so  much  dif- 
ference to  the  working-men  of  Boston,  to  the  people  who  most  use 
horse  cars,  whether  they  go  quicker  or  slower  if  the  expense  of  their 
transportation  is  little.  I don’t  take  that  ground.  I don’t  believe  it 
is  a sound  or  solid  argument.  I believe  it  does  make  a difference  to 
the  working-man  or  to  the  working-woman  or  to  any  persons  engaged 
in  avocations  which  take  them  away  from  home,  whether  or  not  they 
have  much  time  or  little  time  to  spend  with  their  families.  I can 
remember  the  time,  when  1 was  a boy,  when  from  one  week’s  end 
to  another,  with  the  exception  of  Sundays,  in  the  winter  season,  I 
never  saw  my  father’s  face  by  da\  light,  because  his  business  required 
him  to  go  away  so  early  in  the  morning  that  he  was  always  gone  be- 
fore we  children  were  up,  or  to  come  home  so  late  that  we  were  gen- 
erally in  bed  before  he  reached  his  home.  I believe  that  such  cases 
as  those  are  very  common  throughout  the  community,  and  I believe 
that  anything  that  can  be  done  that  will  give  a working-man  a few 
more  minutes  in  the  morning,  a few  more  minutes  in  the  evening 
with  his  family,  is  a matter  of  importance  which  cannot  be  disre- 
garded, and  which  a committee  of  the  legislature  of  Massachu- 
setts,  representing  every  interest  of  the  community,  will  not  put  out 
of  account. 


Suburban  Homes  for  Working-Men. 

It  means  further  that  a method  of  quick  transit  properly  ar- 
ranged and  properly  carried  out  will  give  to  a great  many  men  who 


now  occupy  residences  in  the  heart  of  the  city  an  opportunity  to  live 
out  of  town.  It  was  said  to  you  here,  and  I have  no  doubt  the 
statement  is  correct,  by  the  gentleman  who  represented  property  in- 
terests on  Washingou  street,  and  who  preferred  to  make  a statement 
rather  than  to  deliver  testimony,  because  he  wanted  to  be  uninter- 
rupted — I refer  to  Dr.  Moore  — that  in  the  heart  of  Boston  the  popu- 
lation is  thicker  than  it  is  in  the  city  of  London.  I was  surprised  to 
hear  the  statement,  but  I have  no  wish  to  controvert  it ; but  if  that  is 
the  case,  if  the  people  of  Boston  are  congregated  together  in  the  old 
part  of  the  city  to  a greater  extent  than  they  are  in  the  city  of  Lon- 
don— which  I always  supposed  to  be  one  of  the  most  thickly  settled 
cities  of  the  world  — then  in  that  view,  if  anything  can  be  suggested 
or  can  be  carried  out  which  will  result  in  scattering  that  population 
somewhat,  it  will  be  a most  desirable  and  beneficial  thing. 

If  any  of  you  have  had  occasion  during  the  past  winter,  as  I have 
had,  to  read  Sunday  after  Sunday  the  accounts  in  the  '"Boston  Courier” 
of  the  tenement  houses  of  Boston  and  the  way  in  which  poor  people 
live,  I am  pretty  sure  that  you  will  agree  with  me  that  if  anything 
can  be  done  to  relieve  that  class  of  our  people  it  is  necessary  that  it 
should  be  done,  fori  doubt  if  ever  there  was  presented  in  the  whole 
history  of  Boston  a set  of  circumstances,  a continuation  of  details, 
which  involve  more  of  suffering,  more  of  real  misery,  more  of  utter 
desolation,  than  is  set  out  in  those  statements  that  have  been  pub- 
lished in  that  newspaper.  Hundreds  and  thousands  of  men,  hun- 
dreds and  thousands  of  families,  are  living  almost  within  the  sound  of 
my  voice  this  morning,  in  a condition  of  misery  such  as  y^ou  and  I, 
Mr.  Chaiiman,  cannot  understand  and  cannot  realize.  If  anything 
will  have  a tendency  to  take  any  of  that  class  of  the  people  away 
from  that  kind  of  living,  then  that  thing  should  be  done;  and  if  it 
should  be  said  that  the  building  of  an  elevated  road  in  itself  would 
not  produce  that  result  because  that  class  of  people  cannot  go  out  of 
the  city,  I should  reply  to  that  argument  in  this  way,  admitting  it  to 
be  a forcible  one,  that  the  building  of  such  a road  would  have  this 
effect : It  would  take  the  next  higher  class  of  the  people  out  of  the 
way.  It  would  take  out  of  town  the  working-men  who  are  able  to 


pay  ho rse-car  fares  or  elevated-railroad  fares  ; it  will  take  that  class 
out  and  leave  more  room  for  the  next  lower  class. 

On  this  subject,  since  these  hearings  began,  there  has  been  pub- 
lished in  one  of  the  Boston  newspapers  a statement  signed  by  "a 
working-man,”  which  expresses  my  views  on  the  subject  better  than 
I can  express  them  myself.  I read  from  the  " Boston  Herald  ” of 
Monday,  the  16th  of  February.  It  is  headed  " Homes  for  Working- 
Men,”  and  it  reads  in  this  wise  : 

" Homes  for  Workingmen. — Rapid  Transit  Is  wiiat  the  People 

Need  First. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  Herald:  — In  a late  number  of  your  paper 
appeared  an  article  by  Robert  Treat  Paine,  Jr.,  on  the  importance 
of  providing  cheaper  and  better  homes  for  the  working  classes,  and 
he  gives  an  account  of  homes  built  in  Philadelphia,  at  a cost  of  $900^ 
apiece,  on  land  costing  $400  a lot.  It  is  probable  that  the  land 
alluded  to  was,  at  least,  five  or  six  miles  from  the  centre  of  business' 
in  that  city,  or  as  far  as  from  State  street  to  West  Roxbury,  Brighton, 
Malden,  Melrose,  and  other  places  in  the  suburbs  of  Boston.  Now, 
there  is  land  enough  within  the  radius  I have  mentioned  to  make 
thousands  of  house  lots,  not  15x60  feet,  containing  9J10  square  feet, 
but  50x100  feet,  containing  5000  square  feet  each,  which  can  lie 
obtained  for  $400  a lot,  and  even  much  less  than  that;  and,  at  the 
present  time,  good,  comfortable  houses,  containing  as  many  rooms 
as  those  described  by  Mr.  Paine,  can  be  built  on  those  lots  for  $1500 
each,  including  land.  That  being  the  case,  why  don’t  somebody 
build  them?  Simply  because  nobody  will  hire  or  buy  them  when 
built;  and  the  great  and  principal  reason  for  this  is  that  no  working- 
man who  can  possibly  live  near  his  work  wants  to  lengthen  his  day’s 
labor  and  increase  his  family  expenses  by  going  out  there  to  live.  In 
all  other  respects,  except  house  rent,  a working-man  can  live  cheaper 
in  Boston  than  anywhere  else  in  the  state;  and,  if  he  can  live  within 
five  minutes’  walk  of  his  work,  he  can  have  from  one  and  one  half 
to  two  hours  more  leisure  time  in  each  day  than  if  he  lives  in  one 
of  the  places  I have  mentioned.  Suppose  he  lives  at  West  Roxbury, 


7 


which  is  as  near  as  any,  and  as  easy  to  get  at,  and  that  he  is  a car- 
penter or  machinist,  and  works,  say,  in  Wareham  street,  or  that 
vicinity.  lie  has  to  be  in  the  shop  at  7 o’clock  A.M.,  and  leaves 
at  0 o’clock  p.m.  If  he  depends  on  horse  cars,  he  will  have  to 
rise  at  5.30  o’clock  to  be  in  his  shop  at  7 o’clock  ; and  at  night  it 
will  be  8 o’clock  or  past  before  he  gets  home,  gets  his  supper,  and 
gets  his  chores  done  ; and  out  of  this  time  he  has  not  a moment  of 
leisure,  except  in  the  horse  car,  and  that  is  of  no  use  to  him.  If  he 
depends  on  steam  cars,  he  is  no  better  off.  He  will  probably  live  half 
a mile  from  the  depot  in  West  Roxbury,  and  walk  from  fifteen  to  • 
twenty  minutes’  walk  from  the  depot  in  the  city  ; so  the  whole  trip 
will  take  as  long  as  in  a horse  car.  The  item  of  expense  is  another 
argument  in  his  mind  against  a suburban  residence.  Fifty  dollars  a 
year  will  probably  get  him  to  and  from  his  shop,  but  his  family  will 
spend  half  as  much  more  in  necessary  or  unnecessary  visits  to  the 
city  in  the  same  time.  This  added  to  the  increased  cost  of  fuel  and 
provisions  makes  up  very  near  the  difference  in  rent,  leaving  the 
great  item  of  his  personal  leisure  and  enjoyment  solidly  against  the 
suburban  residence.  In  addition  to  this,  his  family  all  have  the 
same  feeling.  His  wife  and  children  see  more  of  him,  and  lie  has 
more  time  to  attend  to  their  wants  and  minister  to  their  enjoyments, 
when  living  within  a few  minutes’  walk  of  his  woik  than  when 
living  six  miles  from  it.  There  is  no  need  to  enlarge  on  this. 
Every  one  understands  it,  and  the  great  problem  is  how  to  make  the 
suburban  residence  more  desirable  to  him  and  them  than  a city  one. 
One  thing  absolutely  essential  in  this  matter,  it  seems  to  me,  is 
cheap  and  rapid  transit.  Give  the  working-man  a chance  to  get 
over  the  six  miles  to  his  country  home  as  cheap  and  as  quick  as  he 
can  now  average  to  get  home  in  the  city,  and  he  will  go  out  there  to 
live.  But,  you  will  say,  he  can  now  go  six  miles  in  a horse  car  for 
a very  small  sum.  Yes,  and  lie  an  hour  in  going,  and  one  half  that 
time  is  taken  up  in  the  first  mile,  waiting  for  people  to  get  in  and 
out  who  are  only  going  from  a few  rods  to  a mile  on  the  way  ; and, 
with  the  present  horse-car  arrangement,  that  is  unavoidable.  What 
is  wanted  is  some  mode  of  conveyance  that  will  take  him  the  six 


8 


miles  for  six  cents,  and  in  fifteen  minutes,  and  there  is  no  reason 
why  It  should  not  be  done  ; and,  further,  it  has  got  to  be  done,  and 
will  be  done.  The  only  question  is:  how?  That  I leave  with  those 
who  ought  to  understand  it.  I know,  fiom  experience,  what  the 
working-man  needs,  and  somebody  ought  to  know,  or  find  out,  how 
his  wants  in  this  respect  can  be  supplied  ; for,  until  that  is  done,  all 
experiments  for  bettering  his  condition,  in  the  way  Mr.  Paine  pro- 
posed, will  be  likely  to  fail.  W.” 

Now,  singular  as  it  may  seem  to  some  of  the  gentlemen  who 
represent  the  opposition  here,  though  that  article  appears  in  the  news- 
paper, and  seems  to  be  in  favor  of  some  of  the  points  which  I am 
arguing,  I did  not  write  that  article.  I have  been  suspected  of 
doing  such  things  heretofore,  and  so  I want  to  make  myself  clear. 
I would  have  written  it  if  I had  known  how  to  write  it  as  well  as 
it  is  written,  but  I did  not  write  it.  I found  it  in  the  paper,  and  I 
present  it  to  you,  as  I believe  it  to  be  an  honest  expression  of  an 
honest  man’s  opinion,  and,  as  I say,  it  presents  our  view  of  the  case 
better  than  I can  present  it  myself,  because  it  states  briefly  and 
pointedly  some  matters  which  deserve  your  best  attention,  and  which 
I am  sure  will  receive  your  serious  consideration. 

The  Improvement  of  Suburban  Propertv. 

There  is  another  point,  of  the  same  general  nature,  and  that  is 
that  the  effect  of  the  erection  of  elevated  structures  and  the  promo- 
tion of  rapid  transit  will  be  a great  improvement  as  to  suburban 
property.  There  is  no  question,  and  it  has  not  been  denied  in  the 
arguments  on  the  part  of  the  remonstrants  — in  fact  it  has  not  been 
alluded  to  by  them  — that  there  is,  surrounding  the  city  of  Boston,  a 
belt  of  property  which,  for  some  reason  or  other,  has  not  improved 
as  it  should  have,  or  as  it  is  susceptible  of  being  improved  ; for,  not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  there  are  one  hundred  and  eight  or  one 
hundred  and  ten  suburban  railroad  stations,  and  nine  lines  of  steam 
cars  centring  within  half  a mile  of  city  hall,  and  notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  there  are  flourishing  and  beautiful  towns  all  around  the 
circuit  beginning  at  a point,  say  six  miles  from  the  city  hall  or  a 


9 


little  further  out,  ami  extending  thence  as  far  out  as  Worcester  in 
one  direction,  and  almost  to  Fitchburg  in  another,  — the  fact  exists 
that  there  is  a belt  of  property  within  three  or  four  miles  of  city  hall 
which  is  not  built  up,  which  is  not  improved  and  which  is  the  very 
property  that  should  be  improved  ; because  it  contains  everything  that 
makes  property  desirable  as  a place  of  residence.  That  is  to  say,  if 
that  property  were  properly  served  with  means  by  which  the  people 
who  live  on  it  could  get  to  and  from  the  city  proper.  It  is  no 
answer  to  such  a statement  as  this  to  say  that  a man  can  live  on  a 
steam  railroad  and  lie  landed  at  the  Providence  depot  within  fifteen 
minutes  of  his  work  ; or  that  another  can  live  on  another  line  and  be 
landed  at  the  northern  depots  within  twenty  minutes  of  his  work,  or 
be  landed  at  the  Old  Colony  or  Boston  & Albany  depots  within  a 
short  distance  of  his  work.  The  fact  remains,  that  the  people  will 
not  use  such  accommodations.  And  another  fact  of  equal  impor- 
tance exists  that,  notwithstanding  all  those  facilities  and  all  the 
horse-car  facilities  also,  the  suburban  district  that  I speak  of  does 
not  build  up;  and  the  increase  of  horse-car  travel  is  out  of  all  pro- 
portion to  the  advantages  afforded  by  the  steam-car  travel ; for  when 
I had  the  honor  of  addressing  this  committee  a year  ago  I told 
them  that  the  increase  of  travel  in  the  city  of  Boston  on  the  hoi’se- 
cars,  as  the  statistics  showed,  was,  on  an  average,  two  millions  and 
a half  a year,  and  I predicated  on  this  statement  an  argument  to  the 
committee  that,  within  a short  time,  the  facilities  fur  horse-car  travel 
would  be  exhausted.  Another  year  has  gone  by  and  another  set  of 
statistics  has  been  reported  to  the  railroad  commissioners ; and  the 
fact  is  to-day  that,  instead  of  the  increase  being  two  millions  and  a 
half,  it  is  three  millions  and  a half;  and  we  have  no  reason  to  doubt 
that  that  increase  will  constantly  continue  in  the  same  increasing 
ratio  for  years  to  come,  which  presents  to  our  consideration  a prob- 
lem that  must  be  met  and  must  be  solved. 

The  question  of  the  improvement  of  suburban  property  has  been 
a subject  matter  of  some  force  which  has  been  presented  here,  and 
the  witnesses  who  have  testified  to  you  that  suburban  property 
needs  something  of  this  kind  to  bring  it  up  to  where  it  ought  to  be. 


10 


have  boon,  of  course,  charged,  on  the  part  of  the  remonstrants, 
with  having  an  interest  in  the  subject  matter.  Mr.  Chairman,  I don’t 
deny  that  every  man  who  testified  here  in  our  behalf,  if  we  except 
two  witnesses  (they  are  Mr.  Cowing  and  Mr.  Shrive)  had  a per- 
sonal interest  in  the  subject  matter.  I don’t  except  Mr.  Taylor,  be- 
cause Mr.  Taylor  had  a personal  interest  in  the  question  to  the 
extent  that  he  was  paid  for  his  time  and  expenses  in  coming  here  to 
testify,  if  that  makes  a man  personally  interested.  But,  notwith- 
standing the  fact  that  those  witnesses  did  have  a personal  interest  in 
the  subject,  it  must  be  offset  by  another  fact,  that  every  witness  who 
appeared  for  t he  rcmonslrants  had  the  same  kind  of  an  interest,-  only 
he  looked  at  it  from  another  standpoint.  There  has  not  been  a man, 
with  the  exception  of  two,  who  has  come  tip  here  before  this  com- 
mittee and  testified  to  you,  who  didn’t  have  a personal  interest,  and 
from  the  necessity  of  the  case  it  was  not  expected  that  any  other 
than  such  witnesses  would  come  here.  It  is  no  derogation  to  any 
man  who  has  testified  before  you,  that  he  is  interested  in  this  subject 
matter;  and  it  docs  not  reflect  on  the  testimony  of  Mr.  Williams 
or  of  Mr.  Hutchins,  or  of  any  other  man  who  told  you  that  the 
Highlands  needed  an  elevated  railroad  ; it  has  no  effect  on  the  testi- 
mony of  any  man  from  Cambridge  who  told  yon  that  Cambridge 
needed.au  elevated  railroad,  because  those  individuals  own  property 
which  may  be  improved  by  its  erection,  any  more  than  it  should 
reflect  on  the  witnesses  for  the  remonstrants  who  testified  that  they 
were  property  owners  and  that  they  thought  their  property  would 
be  injured. 

But  the  fact  of  the  matter  is,  in  considering  a question  of  this 
kind,  there  is  one  point  which  must  be  always  borne  in  mind,  that 
the  interests  which  are  to  be  protected 'and  are  to  be  cared  for  and 
are  to  be  considered,  are  not  the  interests  of  one  set  of  property 
owners  on  the  one  hand,  and  another  set  on  the  other,  and  between 
the  two  that  you  are  to  balance  on  the  right  hand  the  testimony  of 
men  who  want  it  because  they  own  property,  and  on  the  other  hand 
the  testimony  of  men  who  do  not  want  it  because  they  own  prop- 
erty, and  that  you  are  to  settle  the  question  according  to  the  results 


11 


of  that  balancing.  You  are  to  consider  the  greatest  good  of  the  whole 
people.  You  are  to  find  out,  if  possible,  what  our  people  will  be 
most  benefited  by,  and  when  you  have  come  to  a conclusion  as  to 
that,  your  conclusion  as  to  your  report  will  be  very  easily  slated. 

The  Effect  on  Real  Estate  Generally. 

The  next  question,  as  to  the  importance  of  this  subject,  is  the 
effect  that  an  elevated  road  will  have  on  real  estate  in  general. 
As  to  that,  there  has  been  testimony  of  a varying  nature,  and  it  has 
been,  I think,  substantially  settled  by  the  evidence  that  in  certain  dis- 
tricts there  will  be  decided  improvement,  and  in  certain  other  districts 
there  will  be  decided  disadvantage.  I said  to  the  committee  when  I 
opened,  so  far  as  I did  open  the  case  for  these  petitioners,  that  the 
parties  whom  I represented  before  you  did  not  desire  to  go  on 
Washington  street  between  Dover  street  and  Cornhill,  and  I repeat 
the  statement.  Under  no  circumstances  whatever  do  we  propose  to 
ask  fora  charter  to  go  on  that  street  between  the  points  that  I have 
mentioned.  But  I am  met,  in  regard  to  that  statement,  with  a very 
singular  point  which  was  made  and  presented  clearly  to  you  by  the 
counsel  who  closed  for  the  city  last  Monday  — I refer  to  the  gentle- 
man who  is  permanently  employed  at  the  state  hou%e  to  take  care 
of  legislative  matters  in  behalf  of  the  city  of  Boston.  Mr.  Stack- 
pole  told  you  as  he  closed  his  argument  — and  if  I incorrectly 
represent  him  I hope  I may  be  set  right  — he  told  you  substantially, 
as  hisclosing  point,  that  the  reason  why  the  charter  should  not  be 
granted  by  this  committee  was  this:  that  the  matter  then  would 
come  under  the  control  of  twelve  men  who  compose  the  board  of 
aldermen  of  the  city  of  Boston  (these  twelve  men  were  virtually 
his  clients  for  the  time  being),  and  these  twelve  men  were  fallible, 
and  that  undue  influences  might  be  brought  to  bear  on  them,  and  he 
besought  you  not  to  grant  a charter,  in  order  that  you  might,  by 
your  action,  stand  between  them  and  temptation  which  might  he 
orought  to  bear,  and  so  made  the  argument,  that  even  if  we  com- 
mitted ourselves  not  to  go  on  to  Washington  street  between  the 


12 


points  mentioned  we  might  change  our  minds  and  bring  undue 
influences  to  bear  on  the  board  of  aldermen,  and  therefore  a charter 
should  not  be  granted.  Mr.  Chairman,  I have  pledged  myself  not 
to  ask  you  for  a charter  between  the  points  mentioned.  I will 
pledge  myself  further,  if  pledging  is  needed,  not  to  try  to  buy  the 
board  of  aldermen  of  the  city  of  Boston.  I have  heard,  from  time 
to  time,  since  1 have  had  the  pleasure  of  again  being  a resident  of 
the  city  of  Boston,  of  undue  influences  being  brought  to  bear  on 
people  in  public  station  ; I have  heard  that  committees  of  the  legis- 
lature have  been  bought ; 1 have  heard  of  some  such  things  as  undue 
influences  being  brought  to  hear  on  the  representatives  of  the  people 
as  they  do  their  work  at  the  state  house.  I have  no  knowledge  of 
such  things;  but  I know  this,  that  so  far  as  I represent  any  interests 
in  this  stale  house,  neither  this  year  nor  last  year,  not  a single 
dollar  nor  a single  cent  has  ever  been  spent  in  any  other  than  a 
legitimate  way,  and  that  the  statement  of  every  disbursement  is 
open  to  the  examination  of  any  man  who  has  an  interest  to  inquire 
into  the  subject.  I do  know  that  money  was  spent  in  this  state 
house  last  year,  and  1 stated  it  frankly  as  I opened  the  case  this 
session;  and  1 say  it  again,  with  equal  frankness,  that  that  money 

was  spent  in  an  underhand  and  in  an  improper  way  by  some  of  those 
» \ 

who  were  remonstrating  against  the  granting  of  a similar  petition; 
and  to  that  extent,  and  to  that  extent  only,  has  any  ulterior  or 
adverse  influence,  so  far  as  I know,  ever  beeu  brought  to  bear  in 
connection  with  this  subject. 

But  to  come  back  again  to  this  point,  to  the  influence  of  elevated 
roads  on  property  : I say  it  is  admitted  that  some  property  is  bene- 
fited and  some  is  injured,  and  if  a way  can  be  pointed  out  by  which 
property  which  is  injured  can  be  made  good  to  its  owners,  and  at  the 
same  time  the  benefits  which  accrue  can  be  made  beneficial  to  those 
who  create  the  benefits,  no  man  will  be  more  ready  than  I to  con- 
sent to  such  a state  of  facts  being  met  by  a provision  in  the  charter, 
and  no  man  will  rejoice  more  than  I to  have  that  condition  of  things 
provided  for;  and  I hope  that  when  the  committee  comes  to  confer 
on  this  subject  some  such  way  maybe  suggested;  if  it  is,  I am  sure 


IB 

that  not  only  those  whom  I represent  but  those  my  brother  Child 
represents  will  equally  be  glad  to  accede  to  such  a suggestion. 

As  to  the  influence  of  elevated  roads  on  property,  as  shown  by  a 
comparison  between  New  York  and  Boston  ; a letter  was  read  to  you 
by  Mr.  Hills  from  a former  commissioner  of  taxation  in  that  city 
stating  his  views  on  that  subject.  His  statement  was  important  and 
.worthy  of  consideration.  It  was  somewhat  of  a surprise  to  me,  for  it 
stated  the  facts  to  be  not  as  I understood  them.  I have  accordingly, 
for  the  purpose  of  meeting  that  same  point,  caused  a communication 
to  be  addressed  to  the  commissioners  of  taxes  and  assessments  in 
New  York  and  asked  their  present  views  and  their  present  opinion 
on  that  subject,  for  3*011  will  bear  in  mind  that  the  gentleman  who 
wrote  the  letter  which  Mr.  Hills  read,  is  not  at  present  employed  as 
one  of  the  commissioners  of  taxes  and  assessments,  but  retired  from 
that  position  in  1878. 

As  to  this  letter,  I should  preface  it  perhaps  by  saying  that  I wrote 
to  Mr.  Cowing,  who  you  remember  was  a witness  here,  and  asked 
him  to  procure  a statement  from  the  commissioners  of  taxes.  Mr. 
Cowing  replies  to  my  letter  in  this  way: 

The  New  York  Elevated  Railroad  Co. 

General  Offices,  7 Broadway.  Treasurer’s  Office,  7 Broadway. 

New  York,  March  11,  1880. 

J.  A.  L.  Whittier,  Esq  : 

ym 

Dear  sir, — In  reply  to  the  following  questions  in  yours  of  the  9th 
inst.,  viz., : — 

I.  "Has  the  operation  of  elevated  railways  in  New  York  caused 
"any  decrease  in  the  taxable  valuation  of  real  estate  along  the  line  of 
"roads;  if  yea,  to  what  percentage  on  previous  valuations?  if  no 
"change,  please  say  so.  If  valuations  have  been  increased  for  the 
"above  reasons,  to  what  per  cent?” 

II.  "What,  if  any,  has  been  the  effect  of  the  operation  of  the 
"elevated  railways  in  New  York,  on  the  taxable  valuation  of  property 


14 


"contiguous  to,  but  not  on  tin*  hue  of  the  said  roads?  Please  state 
" percentage.” 

I submit  a letter  from  Mr.  Kellock,  chief  clerk  in  the  tax  de- 
partment; the  Mr.  Coleman  referred  to  by  Mr.  Kellock  is  a deputy 
tax  commissioner  and  good  authority  upon  the  questions  submitted. 

Undoubtedly  the  first  effect  upon  some  pieces  of  property  abut- 
ting on  the  street  where  the  elevated  roads  are  built  is  to  depre- 
ciate the  taxable  value,  and  owners  are  quick  to  avail  themselves  of 
such  circumstances  to  press  upon  the  assessors  and  tax  commissioners 
for  a reduction.  And  parties  who  occupy  such  premises  on  leases, 
are  also  sharp  to  avail  themselves  of  the  clamor  of  owners,  that 
their  property  is  injured  — to  get  a reduction  of  rent;  the  embar- 
rassed owner  is  then  between  two  tires  ; he  must  on  the  one  hand  stick 
to  it  that  his  property  is  ruined,  in  order  to  make  a claim  upon  the* 
company  and  upon  the  tax  commissioners  for  an  abatement,  and 
on  the  other  hand  he  must  claim  that  the  road  is  no  injury,  but  a 
benefit,  to  meet  the  demand  of  his  tenant. 

I learned  of  a case  in  ,53d  street,  between  6th  and  9th  avenues, 
where  there  are  good  dwellings  on  both  sides  of  the  street:  a per- 
son owning  a house  on  that  street  took  the  ground  that  his  prop- 
erty was  depreciated  largely;  his  neighbor,  not  so  much  alarmed, 
inquired  how  much  he  thought  he  would  lose,  and  he  replied,  lie 
would  take  $15,000  for  his  house,  which  cost  him  $25,000  ; his  neigh- 
bor took  him  up  and  bought  his  house  for  $15,000,  and  re-sold  it 
within  six  weeks  for  $25,000.  Now  the  original  owner  was  right  in 
his  views,  but  only  half  right;  he  did  not  see  the  other  side.  The 
road  did  injure  his  property,  not  two  fifths,  but  say  it  would  rent  for 
$2500  per  year  before  the  road  was  built,  it  should  fall  to  $2000 
per  year  after  the  road  was  built ; but  had  the  road  been  built  on 
52d  or  54th  streets,  it  would  have  increased  the  rental  to  $3000  per 
year;  so  after  all,  taking  both  elements  into  account,  the  rent  should 
be  the  same  as  before,  at  $2500. 

Yours  truly, 


J.  A.  COWING. 


15 


Now,  the  commissioner  of  taxes  and  assessments  writes  as  follows, 
under  date  of  March  10th  : — 

Department  of  the  Commissioners  of  Taxes  ani>  Assessments, 

City  Hall  Park,  Chambers  Street, 

New  York,  March  10,  1880. 

Dear  sir,  — In  reply  to  your  request,  I submitted  your  questions 
to  our  Mr.  M.  Coleman,  and  the  substance  of  his  views  was  as  fol- 
lows : "The  depreciation  caused  by  the  erection  of  the  elevated 
roads  cannot  be  stated,  as  the  city  south  of  40th  street,  east  of  3d 
avenue  and  Bowery,  and  west  of  8th  avenue,  is  tilled  with  large 
tenements  which  have  rented  for  high  prices,  tilled  with  the  laboring 
class,  who  were  compelled  to  live  near  their  respective  places  of 
business,  and  who  could  not  risk  the  time  morning  and  evening  to 
reside  at  a distance,  but  who  can  now,  for  the  same  fare  and  with 
the  same  time,  conveniently  live  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city  at  a 
cheaper  rate  of  rent,  thereby  causing  a large  vacancy  in  those  tene- 
ments, thereby  depreciating  the  value.  2d.  The  commissioners 
have  only  recognized  a depreciation  where  the  roads  have  been 
erected  in  narrow  streets,  such  as  Pearl,  Church,  Allen  and  Amity, 
and  in  such  improved  property  on  (5th  avenue  and  W.  53d  street  as 
they  thought  was  depreciated  ; as  to  the  general  improvement  and 
appreciation  of  real  estate,  the  balance  is  at  least  28  per  cent  in 
favor  of  the  action  and  existence  of  the  elevated  railroads  to  the 
present  time.”  Such,  in  brief,  are  his  views. 

Yours  respectfully, 

WILLIAM  IvELLOCK. 

J.  A.  Cowing,  Esq.,  Treasurer. 

That  is  to  say,  in  taking  a balance  of  the  whole  thing,  and  that  is 
the  only  proper  way  of  treating  the  subject,  the  commissioners  of 
taxes  and  assessments  in  New  York  find  that  alter  the  roads  have 
been  in  operation  two  years  the  benefit  accruing  to  the  city  by  their 
existence  amounts  in  his  opinion  to  28  per  cent.  I submit  that, 
gentlemen,  as  an  argument  well  worthy  of  your  consideration. 


1G 


Elevated  Railways  and  House  Railroads. 

Let  us  consider  a little  further  as  to  the  advantages  of  these  elc- 
vated  roads  in  another  sense.  The  question  of  the  improvement  of 
the  outlying  belt  of  territory  not  now  adequately  served  by  either 
the  steam  cars  on  account  of  their  not  being  near  enough,  and  by 
the  horse  cars  on  account  of  their  slowness,  need  not  be  repeated, 
because  1 have  already  touched  upon  it.  The  next  question  is  as  to 
comparison  between  the  horse  ears  and  the  elevated  road,  as  to 
different  means  to  accomplish  the  same  end. 

In  saying  what  I shall  say,  so  far  as  this  comparison  is  concerned, 
I want  to  be  distinctly  understood  as  claiming  that  the  city  of  Boston 
possesses  the  best  system  of  horse  cars  that  probably  is  in  existence  in 
any  American  city.  My  own  investigations  or  my  own  knowledge 
on  that  subject  do  not  extend  beyond  St.  Louis  on  the  west,  or 
south  of  Richmond,  Va.  ; but  in  every  other  large  city,  and  I sup- 
pose that  only  excepts  San  Francisco  and  New  Orleans,  1 have  pretty 
thoroughly  examined  this  subject  as  to  the  service  afforded  by  horse 
cars,  and  the  result  of  my  experience  is  that  in  this  city  of  Boston  wc 
have  the  best  cars,  the  best  system  for  accommodating  the  public, 
the  best  horses,  the  most  rapid  transportation,  the  most  efficient  and 
satisfactory  drivers  and  conductors,  the  most  capable  and  wide-awake 
management,  and  in  every  way  I believe  the  horse  roads  of  Boston 
arc  the  best  roads  of  any  city  of  the  United  States;  and  I will  go  a 
little  further,  and  I will  say  that  I honestly  believe  that  those, 
who  are  in  charge  of  the  horse  roads  in  Boston  are  men  who  are 
alive  to  the  wants  of  the  people,  and  who  propose  in  the  future, 
as  they  have  in  the  past,  to  meet  and  to  supply,  so  far  as  they 
can,  every  want  which  comes  to  their  knowledge.  And  I will 
go  a little  further  than  that,  if  the  committee  will  allow  me  to  be  so 
personal,  and  to  say  that  I believe  that  there  is  at  the  head  of  one  of 
these  roads  in  Boston  a man  whose  clearness  of  head  and  kindness  of 
heart  are  not  exceeded  by  those  qualities  as  possessed  by  any  other 
man  at  the  head  of  any  other  corporation  in  the  United  States  ; and 
I honestly  believe  that  so  long  as  Calvin  A.  Richards  is  at  the 
head  of  the  Metropolitan  railroad  the  people  of  Boston  will  not 


17 


suffer,  so  far  as  he  can,  by  horse  railroad  accommodations,  meet  their 
wants  and  supply  their  demands. 

But  the  question  is,  is  that  the  best  method  of  meeting  the  public 
wants?  We  have  been  told  here  that  we  have  failed  in  one  thing; 
we  have  failed  in  that  we  have  not  shown  to  this  committee  that  an 
exigency  for  this  system  exists.  What  do  these  people  mean?  What 
is  to  be  understood  by  the  word  exigency?  I confess  that  it  is  a 
word  susceptible  of  various  and  divers  meanings.  If  I understand  cor- 
rectly the  position  of  the  remonstrants  it  amounts  substantially  to 
this:  that  if  this  committee  had  begun  to  sit  the  day  after  it  was  ap- 
pointed and  the  day  after  business  was  referred  to  it,  and  had  sat 
constantly  every  day  it  could  sit  for  the  hearing  of  testimony,  and 
witnesses  had  constantly  been  brought  before  it,  one  after  another, 
until  hundreds  and  thousands  had  been  brought  up  here,  and  then 
when  you  had  been  obliged  to  stop  because  you  had  no  more  time 
you  should  be  told  that  the  lobbies  and  the  hall  of  representatives  and 
of  the  senate  were  full  of  people  waiting  to  testify,  and  the  crowd  ex- 
tended down  the  steps  to  Beacon  street : 1 believe  that  is  what  one 
set  of  men 'would  have  called"  proving  an  exigency,”  and,  they  would 
argue,  because  that  was  not  done  on  our  behalf,  we  had  not  proved  an 
exigency.  I submit  to  you  that  that  kind  of  evidence,  entirely 
cumulative  evidence,  is  not  of  a kind  to  have  any  particular  effect  on 
intelligent  men.  You  can  judge  of  the  exigency  by  the  testimony  of 
five  men,  coupled  with  your  own  knowledge,  just  as  well  as  you  can 
by  the  testimony  of  five  thousand.  And  there  is  a line  of  evidence 
which  we  have  presented  but  have  not  yet  pressed  with  any  particular 
force  : there  is  a line  of  evidence  which  these  remonstrants  have  not 
alluded  to,  but  which  does  prove  our  case,  so  far  as  the  exigency  is 
concerned,  beyond  the  shadow  of  a doubt.  There  are,  Mr.  Chair- 
man and  gentlemen,  fifty-five  millions  of  witnesses  before  this  com- 
mittee on  behalf  of  the  exigency  which  we  claim  to  exist.  I tell 
you  that  every  man  and  woman  and  child  who  went  to  make  up  the 
vast  number  of  people  who  were  transported  on  the  horse  cars  in  the 
city  of  Boston  during  the  last  year,  every  single  one  of  them  is  a 
silent,  but  an  outspoken  witness  too,  in  favor  of  the  existence  of  the  ex- 


18 


igency  which  we. claim  ; and  when  a on  can  wipe  out  the  fact  that  those 
passengers  are  increasing  at  the  rate  of  three  millions  and  a half  a 
year,  then,  and  not  till  then,  have  you  succeeded  in  setting  aside  and 
nullifying  the  weight  of  the  testimony  which  the  actual  fact  of  their 
existence  presses  upon  your  attention.  There  they  are  ; they  arc  the 
Avitnesses  which  prove  the  exigency  ; and  when  Ave  offer  a means  of 
communication  to  those  fifty-five  millions  of  people  Avhich  'would  re- 
sult substantially  in  carrying  them  Avitli  tAvice  the  speed,  three  times 
the  comfort,  with  entire  safety  and  Avith  no  increase  of  expense  as 
compared  with  existing  means,  A\re  have  proved  to  you  that  an  ex- 
igency exists  which  should  result  in  the  granting  of  that  which  we  ask 
for. 

Supposing  the  case  to  be  that  an  elevated  road  is  constructed  in 
Boston,  and  that  out  of  the  fifty-five  millions  of  people  Avho  travel 
year  after  year  on  horse  roads  we  carry  thirty-five  millions,  leaving 
the  rest  for  the  present  street  roads  ; and  supposing  Ave  carry  those 
thirty-five  millions  of  people  at  a saving  of  ten  minutes  on  each  trip, 
and  at  no  greater  cost  than  they  are  paying  to-day,  what  Avould  be 
the  practical  effect  of  that  saving  in  adding  to  the  Avealth  of  the  city 
of  Boston?  Simply  this:  calling  a day  of  ten  hours  Avorth  a dollar 
to  each  person,  it  would  result  in  adding  every  year  $1,200,000  to 
the  productive  value  of  the  people  of  the  city  of  Boston.  That 
saving  is  worth  money  ; and  figures,  gentlemen,  do  not  lie. 

We  can  carry  these  passengers  here  with  safety.  There  is  no 
question  whatever  that  it  is  within  the  limits  of  engineering  skill  to 
construct  an  elevated  road  strong  enough  and  safe  enough  to  carry 
everybody  that  rides  on  it,  and  there  is  no  question  either  that 
prudent  men  Avho  are  willing  to  put  their  money  into  the  construction 
of  an  elevated  road  will  be  prudent  enough  to  build  it  Avith  sufficient 
strength  and  solidity  to  inspire  and  to  retain  the  public  confidence  ; 
for  the  worst  thing  that  could  happen  to  them  and  to  their  interest 
would  be  the  erection  of  a structure  which  was  not  in  itself  entitled 
to  the  public  confidence.  There  has  not,  during  the  operation  of 
elevated  roads  in  Ncav  York  up  to  this  day,  been  a single  accident 
resulting  from  the  weakness  of  the  structure  itself.  Every  accident 


19 


that  has  happened  on  those  roads  is  owing  to  causes  which  might 
produce  the  same  result  on  any  surface  road  — to  the  carelessness  of 
a switchman,  to  the  carelessness  or  the  inexperience  of  an  engineer, 
to  the  fault  of  the  passenger  himself,  or  to  causes  of  that  kind ; but 
there  has  not  been  an  accident  produced  in  and  of  itself  by  the  weak- 
ness of  the  structure.  When  that  happens,  when  a girder  falls 
down,  when  a train  is  thrown  from  the  track  by  the  breaking  down 
of  a section  of  the  structure,  then  it  will  be  time  enough  to  argue 
that  we  cannot  build  a safe  elevated  road. 

As  to  the  matter  of  comfort ; that  point  deserves  a word  of  atten- 
tion, for  it  is  a pretty  serious  matter.  Here,  for  several  months  in 
the  year  in  Boston,  how  are  we  transported  as  regards  comfort? 
We  are  carried  now  in  as  good  a way  as  we  can  be  carried  under  the 
circumstances,  but  our  cars  are  cold,  and  a great  many  people  suffer 
great  inconvenience  because  they  cannot  ride  comfortably  warm. 
On  an  elevated  road  that  objection  is  entirely  obviated.  There  is 
no  difficulty  in  heating  the  cars,  there  is  no  difficulty  in  carrying  the 
passengers  in  a train  of  comfortable  temperature  ; there  is  no  diffi- 
culty in  giving  every  man  a seat  if  he  is  only  willing  to  wait  for  a 
minute;  but  the  people  stand  in  New  York,  and  the  only  complaint 
against  elevated  roads  there  — and  it  was  voiced  by  one  of  the  wit- 
nesses here  — is  that  people  are  so  anxious  to  ride  on  those  roads  at 
certain  hours  of  the  day  that  they  will  crowd  into  the  cars  and  will 
stand  up.  That  is  something  which  applies  to  the  passenger  and  is 
not  to  be  attributed  to  the  railroad.  And  if  I am  not  mistaken 
something  of  that  kind  has  occurred  on  the  horse  roads  in  Boston, 
for  we  all  have  a distinct  remembrance  of  crowded  horse  cars  on  our 
city  streets. 

The  next  question  is  the  speed.  There  is  no  doubt  you  can  be 
drawn  a great  deal  faster  on  an  elevated  road  than  you  can  on  a 
surface  road  where  the  car  is  drawn  by  horses.  That  needs  no 
argument,  although  it  was  asserted,  and  erronously,  I think,  that 
the  speed  of  a horse  car  in  Boston  was  eight  miles  an  hour;  I 
never  saw  a horse  car  going  at  the  rate  of  eight  miles  an  hour ; and 


I never  want  to,  for  I think  it  will  he  disastrous  to  the  horses  and 
ruinous  to  the  corporations. 

The  next  question  is  cheapness.  My  brother  Clarke,  with  that 
clearness  and  that  satisfactory  method  that  is  characteristic  of  him, 
yesterday,  at  considerable  length,  demonstrated  to  you  very  satis- 
factorily to  himself  that  an  elevated  road  could  not  be  operated 
cheaply,  and  therefore  the  people  would  get  no  benefit  from  it.  My 
brother  Clarke  forgot  one  or  two  things  which,  perhaps,  he  would 
not  have  mentioned  if  he  had  remembered  them.  One  was  that  an 
elevated  road  can  be  operated  if  it  is  wisely  managed  at  a percent- 
age on  the  receipts  of  about  forty-five  per  cent,  and  that  the  horse- 
railroad  percentage  of  expenses  to  receipts  is,  I think,  at  least 
seventy  per  cent.  My  friend  Mr.  Richards  will  correct  me  if  I 
am  wrong,  but  my  impression  is  that  somewhere  about  seventy  per 
cent  is  required  for  operating  expenses,  and  the  margin  alone 
between  the  operating  expenses  of  an  elevated  road  and  those  of  a 
horse  road  is  enough  to  afford  a very  good  margin  of  profit  and  a very 
good  contribution  towards  the  payment  of  dividends  ; and  he  should 
have  borne  in  mind  another  thing,  that  we  can  build  an  elevated 
road  in  Boston  a great  deal  cheaper  than  it  can  be  built  in  New 
York.  lie  forgot  to  tell  you  that  the  elevated  roads  in  New  York 
are  paying  dividends  to-day  of  ten  per  cent  on  their  stock,  and 
that  they  are  carrying  bonds  which  bear  interest  at  the  rate  of  seven  per 
cent  on  a watered  capital  of  twenty-four  millions  of  dollars.  And 
lie  forgot  to  mention  to  you  that  it  is  not  possible,  under  the  satis- 
factory system  of  the  laws  of  Massachusetts,  to  water  any  stock  in 
such  a way  as  that.  If  he  had  told  you  those  things,  the  conclusion 
to  which  he  would  have  been  obliged  to  come  would  have  been  pre- 
cisely the  opposite  to  that  to  which  he  did  come,  and  he  would  have 
been  obliged  to  admit  that  the  argument  that  we  cannot  carry  pas- 
sengers cheaply  was  not  founded  on  a correct  understanding  of  the 
facts  of  the  case. 

There  is  another  point  which,  I think,  is  perhaps  worth  considering, 
and  that  is  : we  are  going  to  bo  in  competition,  in  operating  our  ele- 
vated road,  with  several  other  means  of  transportation,  and  of  necessity 


we  must  to  make  our  fares  cheap  or  else  we  will  not  get  the  busi- 
ness. We  will  have  to  make  our  enterprise  a success,  and  if  it  is 
not  a success  and  it  results  finally  in  the  taking  down  of  the  pillars, 
and  there  is  a destruction  of  the  roadway  and  the  carrying  off  of 
these  railway  trains  for  some  other  use  and  in  some  other  place, 
then  the  loss  will  he  ours,  and  the  misfortune  will  be  ours,  and  we 
shall  not  go  for  sympathy  to  our  friends  of  the  street  roads.  But  we 
submit  that  we  are  willing  to  try  the  experiment.  I say  it  in  all  hon- 
esty and  sincerity  that  there  are  behind  me,  and  I represent,  men  who 
are  willing  to  put  the  money  which  they  have  earned  themselves 
into  this  enterprise  and  spend  sufficient  to  test  it  thoroughly  and 
satisfactorily,  and  are  willing  to  take  the  risk  as  to  whether  or  not  it 
will  produce  any  adequate'  returns  for  the  investment  which  they  make, 
and  all  we  ask  from  you  is,  that  if  you  are  satisfied  as  to  the  exigency 
and  satisfied  as  to  the  possibility,  you  will  give  us  the  chance  to  do 
the  work. 

There  is  another  consideration  to  which  I should  call  your  atten- 
tion, and  that  is,  that  the  surrounding  towns,  such  as  Cambridge, 
South  Boston,  Charlestown  and  the  Highlands,  are  not  properly 
served  by  the  present  means  of  transportation  ; and  an  elevated  rail- 
road is  the  only  way  in  which  they  can  be  satisfactorily  served.  The 
statement  of  that  proposition  carries  with  it  almost  its  own  support. 
It  is  not  necessary  for  me  to  enlarge  upon  it,  for  every  man  who 
knows  that  eight  millions  of  people  come  from  Cambridge  and  spend 
over  an  average  of  half  an  hour  to  and  fro  each  trip,  and  a far  greater 
number  from  the  Highlands,  and  about  the  same  number  from 
Charlestown  and  South  Boston,  spending  about  the  same  length  of 
time,  — every  such  man  knows  that  the  statement  of  that  fact  means 
that  there  ought  to  be,  if  possible,  some  better  means  of  communi- 
cation than  is  now  afforded.  We  submit,  that  the  elevated  road  does 
afford  such  a means  of  communication. 

But  it  has  been  argued  to  you  still  further,  on  behalf  of  the  remon- 
strants, that  the  accommodation  as  furnished  by  the  street-car  lines 
has  not  yet  reached  its  maximum,  and  that  the  statement  we  have 


22 


made  heretofore  in  regard  to  their  having  come  up  to  their  limit  is 
not  correct. 

That  point  can  he  disposed  of,  I think,  very  briefly,  for  yon  must 
bear  in  mind  that  it  is  admitted  by  all  parties  that,  so  far  as  the  circuit 
is  concerned,  they  have  come  to  a point  where  no  more  cars  ought  to 
be  allowed.  But,  say  the  gentlemen  who  represent  the  street  rail- 
road, "if  you  come  with  your  horse  cars  to  Scollay’s  square  in  one 
direction,  and  to  Boylston  street  in  another,  there  isn’t  going  to  he 
any  difficulty.”  But  the  fact  is  the  people  want  to  go  further,  and  the 
fact  is  that  the  demand  has  caused  the  circuit  to  he  crowded,  and  the 
fact  is  that  the  demand  is  constantly  increasing  and  that  the  want  can- 
not he  met  on  the  circuit  by  the  present  system,  and  in  accordance 
with  the  views  of  the  board  of  aldermen.  In  regard  to  this  point,  this 
matter  of  accommodation  furnished  by  the  street  road,  the  analogy 
is  precisely  that  of  a chain  — the  weakest  link  of  a chain  is  the  test  of 
its  strength  — and  the  weakest  link  of  the  chain,  so  far  as  the  limit  of 
accommodation  is  concerned,  is  over  the  circuit,  and  when  the  cir- 
cuit is  full  and  cannot  he  any  more  crowded  than  it  is  to-day,  then 
they  have  reached  their  limit  and  the  people  arc  not  accommodated. 
But  the  elevated  road  will  meet  that  difficulty. 

■ It  will  meet  another  difficulty.  It  will  obviate  another  discomfort. 
It  will  have,  undoubtedly,  the  effect  of  removing  from  the  streets  of 
Boston  a portion  of  the  street  cars,  and  to  that  extent  the  other 
means  of  transportation  through  the  streets  of  the  city  will  have  a 
degree  of  accommodation  which  they  don’t  now  have  and  which  they 
have  a perfect  right  to  expect. 

I am  notone  of  those  who  believe,  as  did  one  of  the  witnesses  here, 
that  there  is  no  need  of  any  other  means  of  transportation  in  Boston 
so  long  as  there  is  a street  on  which  a horse  road  can  he  put  down. 
It  was  stated  to  you  here  by  one  witness,  that  there  were  a great 
many  streets  in  Boston  on  which  horse-car  lines  could  he  laid  : I 
don’t  doubt  it.  But  I do  submit  that  there  are  in  existence,  and 
should  he  considered,  the  rights  of  some  other  people  than  those  who 
control  the  horse-car  lines  ; and  that  those  who  do  teaming  and  truck- 
ing, who  drive  their  own  horses,  or  who  use  the  streets  for  any  of 


4 


ft 


s 


23 


the  various  purposes  connected  with  their  avocations  and  their  busi- 
ness, have  some  rights  of  consideration  ; and  that  the  effect  of  putting 
a street-car  line  down  on  almost  every  street  of  the  city,  would  be 
disastrous  to  some  interests,  and  a thing  which  should  not  be  al- 
lowed ; and  I doubt  very  much  if  the  sensible  board  of  aldermen  who 
have  heretofore,  now,  and  hereafter  will  control  the  interests  of  the 
city  in  that  regard,  will  ever  allow  anything  of  that  kind. 

But  there  is  another,  and  rather  a curious  argument  made  here  by 
the  gentleman  who  opened  the  case  on  behalf  of  the  remonstrants. 
In  relation  to  the  circuit,  he  said,  if  I understood  him  correctly,  that 
the  board  of  aldermen  practically  were  not  enforcing  their  rule  in 
regard  to  the  circuit,  and  in  all  probability  they  would  not  enforce  it. 
That  is  a very  singular  sort  of  a statement.  It  is  not  an  argument, 
but  a statement ; and  reduced  to  its  brevity  it  is,  because  men  don’t 
do  their  duty,  and  there  is  a chance  that  they  will  not  do  their  duty, 
there  is  nothing  for  anybody  else  to  do.  But  the  statement  was  not 
true,  and  no  weight  should  attach  to  it  in  your  minds. 

But  then  they  go  a little  further,  and  they  say,  as  it  was  said  on  be- 
half of  the  remonstrants  in  the  opening,  that  it  is  utterly  impossible 
to  build  an  elevated  road  in  the  streets  of  Boston.  If  it  is  utterly 
impossible,  why  don’t  that  settle  the  whole  question?  and  if  the  ques- 
tion was  settled  by  that  fact  it  was  settled  before  these  hearings 
began.  It  was  settled  practically  and  scientifically  before  this  peti- 
tion was  presented,  and  there  is  no  occasion  for 'anybody  to  come  up 
here  and  take  his  time,  and  trouble  his  friends  to  testify,  in  regard  to 
this  subject  at  all,  because  the  question  was  settled  when  it  was 
known  that  it  was  utterly  impossible  to  build  an  elevated  road  in  the 
streets  of  Boston.  But  unfortunately  for  them  that  statement  is  not 
correct,  because  there  is  no  engineering  difficulty  in  the  way  which 
cannot  be  overcome  ; and  if  it  should  happen  that  we  should  have 
to  go  round  a very  short  curve  from  one  narrow  street  to  another, 
one  thing  is  certain  : we  should  be  obliged  to  take  some  ground  be- 
longing to  a private  individual ; and  another  thing  is  certain,  we 
should  have  to  buy  that  ground. 


24 


' 


The  Rights  of  Adjacent  Property  Owners. 

We  are  told,  and  the  weight  of  a good  deal  of  the  evidence  is  to 
the  effect,  that  we  are  going  to  injure  adjacent  property,  and  that 
we  ought  to  be  compelled  to  pay  for  it.  This  question  is  to  be  con- 
sidered not  alone  in  the  light  of  the  rights  of  the  claims  of  the  ad- 
jacent property  owners  : it  is  to  be  considered  too,  in  this  light : first , 
what  are  the  rights  of  the  people  in  the  streets?  and  secondly , 
what  are  the  rights  of  the  property  owners  adjacent  in  the  streets? 
and  thirdly , what  is  the  weight  of  the  law  in  regard  to  the  use  of  the 
streets?  Now,  I think  it  will  be  admitted  by  any  one  who  knows 
anything  about  it,  that  ordinarily  speaking  the  adjacent  property 
owners,  the  abutting  property  owners,  in  Boston  have  no  special 
rights  in  the  streets  over  and  above  those  of  any  other  people  ; and 
I think  it  will  be  admitted  that  if  it  appears  that  the  use  to  which 
the  streets  are  put  in  the  erection  of  an  elevated  road  is  not  an  im- 
proper use,  that  that  settles  the  whole  question,  and  that  the  matter 
of  damages  naturally  follows  the  settlement  of  it.  It  has  been  held 
by  several  courts  — it  is,  I think,  the  law  of  Massachusetts,  in  fact 
I have  no  doubt  of  it  — that  the  use  of  the  streets  for  a horse  rail- 
road is  not  an  improper  use.  It  is  not  a use,  however,  that  was 
contemplated  by  the  founders  of  the  city ; it  is  not  a use  that  was 
thought  of  for  many  and  many  a year  after  the  streets  wei-e  laid 
out;  but  notwithstanding,  when  that  use  came  into  being,  it  was  held 
to  be  a proper  use.  It  has  been  held  further,  that  the  use  of  the 
streets  for  a steam  road  is  a proper  use.  As  a matter  of  fact,  in  the 
city  of  Boston  to-day  there  is  a steam  road  Avhere  cars  are  drawn 
by  locomotives  at  a low  rate  of  speed  through  the  streets.  So  we 
may  assume  these  two  things  : that  the  use  of  the  streets  for  a horse 
road  is  not  improper,  and  that  the  use  of  the  streets  for  a steam 
road  is  not  improper.  And  we  then  come  to  the  question  whether 
the  use  of  the  streets  for  the  erection  of  an  elevated  road,  which  is 
to  be  put  on  pillars  over  the  heads  of  the  wayfarers,  and  which 
helps  to  relieve  the  street  from  its  present  use  to  a certain  extent, 
is  an  improper  use?  I submit  it  is  a perfectly  proper  one,  because 
it  is  a use  to  which  the  street  is  put  for  the  same  reason  that  it  was 


4 


before  used  by  horse  roads  and  steam  roads  — that  is  to  say,  for  (he 
comfort  and  convenience  of  the  people;  and  when  it  is  shown  that 
the  elevated  road  is  not  for  the  public  comfort,  and  not  for  the  pub- 
lic convenience,  then  and  then  only  will  it  be  proper  to  argue  that 
the  erection  of  such  a structure  is  an  improper  use  of  the  streets  ; 
and  if  that  be  a proper  use,  the  question  of  damages  must  be  settled 
in  the  courts  ; and  I submit  you  are  perfectly  safe  in  leaving  that 
matter  where  it  now  is,  and  in  leaving  the  courts  of  the  common- 
wealth to  settle  it  as  between  the  corporation  and  the  people,  without 
the  interference  of  the  legislature,  and  without  attempt  to  make  that  as 
law  which  never  has  been  law,  and  which  probably  never  will  be  law, 
because  if  these  rich  property  owners  along  the  lines  of  these 
streets  are  really  damaged,  they  have  their  remedy,  and  the  roads 
can  be  obliged  to  meet  and  pay  for  all  the  damage  that  has  been 
created  ; and  if  they  have  suffered  no  actual  damage,  there  is  no 
reason  why  those  corporations  should  be  met  at  the  outset  with  a 
provision  in  their  charter  compelling  them  to  pay  for  a wrong  which 
they  have  not  committed.  I have  shown  you,  I think,  that  in  the 
streets  of  New  York  the  injury  claimed  has  not  actually  existed, 
and  that  on  the  whole  there  has  been  a decided  improvement.  I 
have  shown  you,  too,  if  I am  not  wrong,  that  the  argument  presented 
by  the  remonstrants  to  the  effect  that  steam  roads  centre  in  Bos- 
ton from  one  hundred  and  eight  suburban  stations,  and  at  nine  dif- 
ferent railroad  depots,  does  not  meet  the  issue  which  is  presented 
for  your  consideration  ; for,  notwithstanding  all  those  facilities,  the 
travel  on  the  street  roads  is  constantly  increasing,  and  that  is  the 
kind  of  travel  we  are  seeking  to  accommodate. 

And  there  is  another  consideration  which  has  a close  relationship 
to  this  subject,  and  which  has  never  been  alluded  to  during  these 
lengthy  hearings  and  these  lengthy  arguments  by  our  opponents  : our 
bill  provides  that  the  city  of  Boston,  and  the  other  cities  and  towns 
through  which  our  road  is  to  pass,  shall  be  paid  for  the  use  of  the 
streets  which  we  occupy,  by  a percentage  of  our  receipts. 

I do  not  wonder  that  no  allusion  was  made  to  this  feature  of  our 


26 


bill  by  those  who  are  here  to  prevent,  if  they  can,  our  obtaining  a 
charter. 

The  very  idea  of  paying  for  the  use  of  the  streets  is  obnoxious  to 
those  who  control  the  street  horse  railways.  They  have  used  the 
roadways  so  long  that  an  idea  has  grown  up  in  their  minds  that  they 
own  them,  and  that  no  other  use  is  in  consonance  with  the  funda- 
mental law  which  regulates  the  highways.  In  this  they  are  mis- 
taken. In  no  other  city  can  be  found  such  an  existing  condition  as 
is  characteristic  of  Boston.  In  other  communities  the  use  of  the 
streets  is  paid  for  by  the  horse  railroads,  and  we  have  a provision  in 
our  charter  which  will  produce  the  same  result. 

We  carefully  provide  that  a percentage  of  our  receipts  shall  go 
towards  the  cai’c  of  the  parks  of  the  city  or  towards  such  other  cor- 
porate uses  as  the  government  of  the  respective  municipalities  shall 
suggest. 

To  this  extent  our  charter  is  peculiar,  and  to  this  extent  only.  In 
no  other  respect  do  we  introduce  into  the  corporate  peculiarities  of 
Massachusetts  charters  a feature  not  before  known. 

And  the  argument  which  is  forced  upon  your  attention  by  this 
state  of  things,  is  one  of  great  weight,  and  is  one  which  is  favorable 
to  our  petition  ; for  which  reason  no  reference  to  it  has  been  here- 
tofore made  by  those  who  have  occupied  your  time  with  argument- 
ative objections. 

But  I am  met  with  another  objection  presented  here,  and  forcibly, 
to  the  committee  by  some  of  the  counsel  on  the  other  side,  and  that 
is,  that  we  should  fail  in  our  endeavor  to  promote  the  interests  of  the 
people  of  Boston  and  build  up  the  population  by  the  erection  of  an 
elevated  road,  because  we  should  be  interfering  with  that  natural  and 
steady  growth  which  is  characteristic  of  the  city,  and  which  cannot  be 
accelerated  by  any'  such  means.  Now,  analogous  to  that  was  the  state- 
ment made  by  Dr.  Moore  that  lie  would  rather  see  a tire  sweep  down 
Washington  street  and  destroy  all  the  buildings  than  to  see  an  ele- 
vated road  there.  Those  two  expressions  of  opinion  were  of  pre- 
cisely the  same  kind,  and  they  amount  simply  to  this:  that  they  are 
the  uttering  of  a sentiment  which  h is  been  characteristic  of  Boston 


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27 

for  a good  many  years.  That  is  to  say,  we  are  conservative  ; we 
want  to  be  let  alone,  we  don’t  want  to  be  hurried  up,  we  don’t  want 
anything  here  except  natural  and  steady  growth.  The  practical  effect 
of  that  theory  has  been  to  drive  away  from  Boston  business  enterprise 
and  business  men.  Wherever  you  go  in  the  western  country  you 
will  find  that  the  smart  men  and  the  enterprising  men,  the  men  who  are 
making  money  and  improving  the  country  and  building  up  the  re- 
sources of  the  West,  are  the  men  who  came  from  the  East,  and  a good 
many  of  these  men  "went  from  Boston,  and  they  went  away  be- 
cause they  could  rind  no  place  here  on  account  only  of  that  same  sen- 
timent which  comes  up  here  and  is  voiced  by  the  cry,  "Let  us  alone, 
and  don’t  try  to  accelerate  the  natural  growth  of  the  city.”  I have 
no  words  in  which  to  express  my  opinion  of  that  kind  of  an  argument. 
I believe  in  giving  Boston  everything  that  can  do  it  good.  I believe 
in  bringing  here  and  using  here  everything  which  in  any  other  city  has 
been  demonstrated  to  be  an  advantage  to  the  citizens,  and  I don’t  be- 
lieve that  it  is  a sound  policy  or  a sensible  policy  to  say,  "Never 
mind  what  has  done  good  in  another  place,  we  don’t  want  it  here 
yet  awhile  ; never  mind  what  other  places  have  reaped  from  certain 
advantages,  we  don’t  want  them  here  yet  awhile;  all  we  want  or  care 
for  is  our  natural  and  steady  growth.”  Natural  and  steady  growth 
is  one  thing,  but  the  growth  to  which  a city  is  entitled  is  quite  a dif- 
ferent one  ; and  that  natural  and  steady  growth  would  keep  the  poor 
people  in  the  tenement-houses  of  Boston  for  an  indefinite  time.  That 
natural  and  that  steady  growth  would  keep  the  Highlands  from  grow- 
ing any  faster  than  they  grow  to-day.  That  natural  and  that  steady 
growth  would  keep  Cambridge  where  it  is  now.  That  natural  and  that 
steady  growth  would  prevent  the  development  of  all  the  outlying 
suburbs  within  a radius  of  four  miles  of  Boston.  And  that  natural 
and  steady  growth  has  been  an  incubus  on  this  city  for  many  a year. 
I honestly  believe  the  erection  of  the  elevated  road  we  ask  for  will 
do  more  than  any  other  thing  has  done  towards  wiping  it  out  and 
utterly  destroying  it  and  putting  Boston  where  it  ought  to  be.  There 
is  no  trouble  with  Boston,  the  working-men  of  Boston  are  all  right ; 
the  business  men  of  Boston  have  got  enterprise  enough,  there  is 


capital  enough  in  Boston,  but  the  only  trouble  is,  there  is  :t  cer- 
tain conservative  spirit  produced  i>v  men  who  have  retired  from  active 
business,  who  have  large  propertv  interests  which  they  only  wish  to 
take  care  of,  and  who  take  no  such  interest  in  the  general  business 
of  the  city  as  they  should,  and  who  are  keeping  down  and  back  those 
who  would  make  Boston  what  it  ought  to  be  in  reality  — the  metropolis 
of  New  England  and  one  of  the  greatest  cities  in  the  United  State-. 
There  is  no  reason  why  we  should  not  grow  as  other  cities  have 
grown  ; and  T believe  we  are  going  to  produce  in  our  city  within  the 
next  ten  years  a degree  of  development  which  will  be  a credit  to  us, 
and,  as  compared  with  the  growth  of  the  past,  a very  remarkable 
development;  but  we  shall  not  do  it,  we  cannot  doit,  if  we  are  to  be 
kept  back  by  the  cry  of  "natural  growth.” 

I am  about  concluding  what  T have  marked  out  for  myself  to  say, 
fori  bear  in  mind  I am  to  be  followed  by  a gentleman  who  can  pre- 
sent to  you,  with  a clearness  of  which  I am  no  master,  and  with  a degree 
of  power  to  which  I can  lay  no  claim,  the  considerations  in  favor  of 
these  petitions  in  a more  exhaustive  manner;  but  I find  on  my  mem- 
orandum two  more  points  which  I must  touch.  They  may  be  con- 
sidered as  the  scientific  objections. 

The  Scientific  Objections. 

It  has  been  argued  here  that  there  are  scientific  objections  in  the 
way,  and  that  we  cannot  depend  on  the  experience  of  the  past,  but 
we  must  expect  to  meet  certain  experimental  conditions  of  things, 
and  we  must  provide  a method  of  meeting  them  ; and  we  are  told  that 
the  proper  way  to  meet  these  scientific  objections  is  to  take  out  of 
the  hands  of  the  board  of  aldermen  of  Boston  that  which  they  have 
always  had,  to  wit,  the  control  of  its  streets,  and  to  create  a certain 
foreign  and  peculiar  commission  which  never  existed  before,  to  be 
composed  of  the  aldermen,  and  the  railroad  commissioners,  and  the 
superintendent  of  streets,  and  the  man  who  builds  the  sewers,  and 
the  other  man  who  takes  care  of  the  water  works,  and  the  represen- 
tative of  the  Boston  Gas  Light  Company,  — and  I think  the  Bell  tel- 
ephone people  are  going  to  be  represented  too  — and  three  or  four 


29 


other  corporations  in  the  city  should  all  combine  and  form  a com- 
mission to  settle  this  question.  But  that  is  not  the  way  to  meet  it. 
I take  the  ground  that  the  governing  power  in  the  city  of  Boston, 
which  has  taken  care  of  great  matters  in  the  past,  matters  which 
embodied  great  scientific  research  and  the  use  of  almost  every  scien- 
tific means  that  could  have  been  brought  to  bear,  and  have  suc- 
ceeded in  what  they  undertook,  are  competent  to  take  up  and  carry 
out  the  duty  devolved  upon  them  in  this  charter.  If  we  are  allowed 
to  erect  elevated  roads  in  Boston,  under  their  direction,  I think  the 
power  which  enabled  Boston  to  have  its  present  water  system,  and 
which  is  controlling  the  various  scientific  details  of  its  other  require- 
ments, can  be  safely  trusted  with  this  one.  It  is  not  a very  difficult 
question  to  settle  ; the  question  can  be  settled  in  a very  brief  time 
as  to  what  kind  of  a structure  should  be  used,  what  the  strength  of 
the  structure  should  be,  and  how  it  should  be  erected.  I think  the 
board  of  aldermen,  with  the  assistance  which  they  are  entitled  to  call 
for,  and  which  they  always  avail  themselves  of,  are  perfectly  able 
to  settle  this  question  ; and  I believe  if  they  are  allowed  to  settle  it, 
they  will  do  it  to  entire  satisfaction,  both  as  to  location  and  as  to 
the  way  in  which  the  work  is  to  be  done.  It  is  not  necessary  to  add 
to  them  what  they  have  never  asked  for,  and  it  is  not  necessary  to 
do  it  until  they  ask  it.  I can  understand  why  it  might  be  an  advan- 
tage sometimes  to  have  a large  body  of  men  to  pass  on  this  ques- 
tion, because  the  result  of  diversity  of  opinion  would  always  be  in 
favor  of  those  who  are  our  opponents.  I submit  that  is  not  worthy 
of  your  consideration,  and  in  settling  a matter  of  this  kind,  in  its 
details  as  well  as  its  generalities,  you  should  go  as  far  as  you  can 
in  accordance  with  what  experience  has  taught  to  be  a safe  and 
proper  method  ; and  that  the  safe  and  proper  method  has  been  here- 
tofore to  leave  to  the  board  of  aldermen  the  control  of  the  Boston 
streets,  cannot  and  will  not  be  denied. 

We  then  come  to  this  : If  we  have  succeeded  in  what  we  have 
endeavored  to  prove  here,  we  have  shown  you  that  an  elevated 
road  is  not  an  experiment,  but  is  a fixed  and  successful  fact : we 
have  shown  you  that  in  another  great  city  it  is  doing  a great  deal 


30 

of  good  : we  have  shown  you  that  it  results  in  carrying  people  with 
speed,  with  comfort,  with  safety  and  with  cheapness  : we  have  shown 
you  that  there  is  no  difficulty  connected  with  its  structure  which 
cannot  be  overcome  by  proper  scientific  appliances : and  we  have 
shown  you  too  that  it  will  be  a great  benefit  to  the  city  of  Boston. 
If  we  have  succeeded  in  convincing  you  of  these  things,  then  we 
have  given  you  every  reason  why  that  which  we  ask  for  should  be 
granted.  And  believing  that  we  have  succeeded,  and  with  entire 
confidence  as  to  the  conclusion  to  which  you  will  come,  and  with  an 
entire  willingness  to  leave  our  interests  in  your  hands,  for  we  know 
they  are  safe  there,  we  submit  our  case  to  your  careful  considex-ation. 


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